Personal Details

Surname                                 Mawowa

Forename                               Lovemore

Date of Birth                           09-01-1957

Registration Certificate           58-040900 J 42

Offices Address                       2972 ZMDC Chegutu

Contact                                   +263 913 804 525

Nationality                              Zimbabwean

District                                    Makoni (Manicaland)

Email                                       lovemoremawowa[at]yahoo.com

My story...

The Background

I was born in a poor and disable family (both parents deaf and dump) in a small marginalized village called Mbariro in Makoni district Manicaland Province in Zimbabwe. Every single day was characterized by struggles for food, for dignity, for survival and for opening possibilities of a better future. I travelled 20 km per day to attend primary education. During the first two years of my lower secondary education I worked half the time for a generous missionary to raise funds for my school fees. Eventually I had to take up employment as a mine worker for four years during which I worked twelve hours a day seven days a week. Every night I used three hours for self studies to complete my Ordinary Level distance education with GCE of London Institute. My vision was to first change my life then use the capacity and experiences to enable many communities to change their lives and living conditions, not forgetting the disabled.

First encounter with the Dream Come True

In 1985 I was offered opportunity to train in basic engineering and power units. The training was run by Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) in Zimbabwe an NGO which is a member of the International Federation of Organisation Associated with Humana People to People. DAPP later offered me employment. From 1987 to 2001 I worked with the marginalized communities in Zimbabwe to formulate projects, plan, mobilize funds, implement, evaluate and report to the government and donors for DAPP.

WAPA idea conceived...

Reaching out Africa and the World through Development Instructor Training 

In November 2001 I was offered intra-company transfer to Durban South Africa where I helped establish a Development Instructor Collage, Kwa Zulu Natal Experimental Collage (KNEC). The enrolment policy was 1/3 from South Africa, 1/3 from African countries and 1/3 from Asia, Europe and USA.  Upon completing their studies the Development instructors go to do development work in Sub Saharan Africa. Follow up assessment has shown that these former trainees have changed the lives of many communities over the years. I stayed at KNEC as the principal and later as National Director of Human People to People in South Africa until September 2007. During my term of office Humana People to People in South Africa expanded into 5 provinces covering 2, 600 000 communities on daily basis.

Among the students there was a lady from Germany called Bettina Patzuda who got very interested in the presentations about Land Reform in Zimbabwe, poverty and land degradation within the globe and its consequences to the future generation. She agreed with me that something more drastic and African grown must be done to help the people to help themselves.  It was there and then that the idea of WAPA was conceived. An idea that would see; German nationals and Zimbabwean nationals form a Zimbabwe Trust linked to a German Subsidiary in an effort to address global problems. Through much consultation an international NGO with its origins in Zimbabwe Africa was registered in the year 2009 known as the Wadinasi Association for Poverty Alleviation (WAPA).

Getting ready to start Wadinasi Association for Poverty Alleviation (WAPA)

A member and co-founder Bettina Patzuda having completed her Development Practice Training went to study at a University in Germany from 2005 to 2009 for an Agriculture degree in preparation for WAPA work. In May 2009 I asked for a transfer from South Africa back to the Federation Headquarters in Zimbabwe in order to officially found and register WAPA Zimbabwe.  Having consulted and established a board of seven members (including the two founders) WAPA was officially registered on 08 July 2009 as a trust (registration number 501/2009). I still work for the international Humana People to People in the Leadership Office for research and development responsible for expansion activities in Africa and Latin America. The journey is just beginning. My dream is to see WAPA team up with likeminded individuals and groups to create enabling conditions to ensure a better life for mankind by mankind.

Why fund WAPA?

1. WAPA is a home developed, third world initiative, founded on and by the people whose origin and background is that of the poor, marginalized, disabled and vulnerable class. In that sense WAPA can better fight with the poor to create better living conditions.
2. The funds are better directed to the correct beneficiaries as WAPA is with the People and will be driven by the marginalized people themselves.
3. WAPA respects human rights, dignity and equality, is non racial, respects the environment; it fights against dehumanization and environmental degradation.
4. Governance of WAPA is comprised of a directorate with multi professional skills and work experiences in socio-economic development.
5. Some of the members have more than 20 years of experience in dealing with large sums of donor money.
6. WAPA is here to assist the communities to fulfil the UN millennium Goals though their own efforts

Appreciation

My appreciation goes to the Founding member secretary and executive board member Ms Bettina Patzuda for making the dream come true, to Mrs Stella Mawowa an executive  board member and vice representative  for her strategic input, provision of office facilities at her residence and guidance, to Mr Andrew Mutsiwa lawyer and executive board member for policy formulation and facilitation for the registration of the Trust, to Mr Fortunate Mawowa treasurer and executive board member for playing the central role to work and co-ordinate the entire process,  to Mr Leon Muwoni the secretary and executive board member for the guidance to comply with the requirements of the Ministry of Social Welfare of Zimbabwe and the International Standards and to Mr Showers Mawowa the vice Chairman and executive board member for his input in drafting and formulating all the documents, plans and activities. A lot of thanks go to Mr Matthias Patzuda for creating and maintaining the WAPA website. Many thanks go to Patzuda family for generously giving the first donation ever to WAPA Trust. In 2007 they bought me a ticket to Germany to learn the German history and cultural values. My heart was broken when I visited the former concentration camps. The experiences brought Zimbabwe and Germany closer as people. The family bought Bettina a ticket to Zimbabwe in November 2009.  All in all flight tickets and a start up donation from Patzuda amount to 4886 euro. It is my sincere confidence that WAPA Zimbabwe and WAPA Germany will eventually bring meaningful development to Zimbabwe through a people to people corporation and global partnership

Fund raising for WAPA Activities

WAPA Germany a sister and subsidiary Trust to WAPA Zimbabwe will fundraise in cash and kind in Europe and the rest of the world for the activities. The funds will be transferred to a main account of WAPA Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe.

WAPA Zimbabwe will invite donors and partners within Zimbabwe and outside Zimbabwe. WAPA Zimbabwe board of directors shall recommend other fundraising methods that the board see fit and appropriate.

Thank you

Lovemore Mawowa

(WAPA National Chairman)

a few words about Bettina

here we write somethig about ourselves